In the ranching of horses and cattle, portable panels are often erected and connected to each other to form temporary or semi-permanent enclosures or pens. Each panel typically comprises a pair of spaced vertical end posts and a plurality of horizontal cross rails. The panels are usually supported by the cooperation of one or more adjacent panels. Often such pens are erected on uneven ground by one person working alone. Accordingly, it is desirable that such panels be readily connected to each other by one person working alone on uneven ground. It is also desirable that connectors used to connect such panels be strong enough to withstand forces exerted on the panels by the enclosed animals.
Several different types of connectors for connecting panels enclosing horses or cattle or to connect fencing posts are well-known. For example, non-rigid, chain connectors have frequently been used for this purpose. One technique for using non-rigid chain connectors is to weld one end of the chain to one post of a panel. The chain then wraps around a post of an adjacent next panel (or fence post) and locks by one of various means. Such chain connectors tend to be difficult to use by one person on uneven ground since they typically require one person to hold the panels or fence posts steady, while another person, using two hands, wraps the chain around the panels or posts being connected. Further, when the panels or posts are transported, the chains tend to dangle and therefore they can easily become tangled with each other. Further, chains are less aesthetically pleasing than many rigid connectors, which is an important consideration to many horse owners as well as organizers and participants of horse events.
Another common type of connector used to connect panels or posts are male to female connectors, such as that illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,371,148 issued to Harden in 1983. With male to female connectors, one member (ie: one of the male and female member) is typically attached to one post of one panel and the other member is attached a post of another panel. In order to effect rigid connection of adjacent posts, it is typically necessary to use at least two sets of male to female connectors, one set above the other. To connect adjacent panels or posts, the panel with the male member is typically lifted to fit the male member into the female member of the adjacent panel, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the Harden patent. Accordingly, it is very difficult for one person working alone to tear down and/or reconnect panels using such male to female connectors, especially on uneven ground.
Other constructions of male to female connectors may incorporate a pin as the male member which can be lifted up and dropped down into the female member without lifting the entire panel. With either type of male to female connector, it is difficult to connect panels on uneven ground, since the male and female members are typically attached to their respective posts at a pre-determined height, necessitating their being connected at the pre-determined height. Further, male to female connectors, in use, create a gap between adjacent connected panels. Such gaps are dangerous to cattle and horses which may catch a leg in the gap and suffer injuries, requiring, in some case, the animal having to be put down.
The prior art also reveals other devices which could be used to connect panels or posts, but which also suffer from the drawbacks noted above. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,355,829 and 3,918,753 issued to Gregory in 1982 and McCormack in 1975, respectively, each describe connectors which appear to be specifically intended for connecting a hinged gate to a stationery gate, and would be of only marginal use to connect non-hinged gates (or panels or posts). Both of these patents describe devices considerably more complicated than the male to female connectors described above. Further, each of the devices described in these patents, when in use, creates a gap between adjacent panels or posts, thereby acting as a hazard to cattle or horses, for the reason noted above. As well, each of the devices described in these patents, similar to the male to female connectors, requires a portion of the device to be affixed to both of the adjacent panels or posts before the panels or posts can be connected. Accordingly, these devices would likely be difficult to install, especially for one person working alone on uneven ground, due to the need to adjust the height of the corresponding portions of the devices on the adjacent panels or posts.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,577,930 issued to Thomas in 1949 also describes a means to connect a hinged gate to a stationery gate. This device would be of marginal value to connect unhinged gates (or panels or posts) and also creates a gap between adjacent gates which could be hazardous to cattle or horses, for the reasons noted above.